Fuller’s 1845

Brewed by Fuller’s
Style: English Strong Ale
London, England

Serve in English pint, Trappist glass

Aroma is a caramel and orange-sodden punch in the face. Flavour bittersweet chocolate-orange drenched in alcohol. Finishes with a lingeringly dry bitterness. Pleasantly toffeeish in the nose. Deep reddish-brown body with a lasting head. Aroma and flavour-wise could easily pass as a Belgian Tripel of a higher ABV, but a liitle too syrupy and unsubtle to be guzzled by the English pint.

Dark copper that is slightly lighter at the bottem. The biege head is huge and long lasting. The aroma is very malty with some oak and brown sugar. Taste is dry at first. Has some cider quality to the bite. The malts are strong with some toffee, dark chocolate and a coffee finish. The hops come out after it warms and it has a slightly unpleasant bitterness. I imagine this could be even better on cask, but is still pretty good for a bottle conditioned example.

0.5L bottle pours clear amber with rocky-frothy tan head and sheet lacing. Nice full aroma with prunes, gingerbread, molasses, cherries and fruit cake. Nice. The taste is much like the aroma starting with fruit cake, cherries and boysenberries. By midway malts enter the picture with roasted malts that move toward caramel and toffee notes. Into the finish malts mix with cherries and prunes. The only knock would be the thin-ish body. Nice brew.

I only noticed after I was done rating that this brew had a best by date of 10/NOV/05. I consumed it in Dec. 2007. It is certainly best by even a few more years.

UPDATED: NOV 25, 2011 Oct 2002 This is a big gun beer and delivers a massive impact. Making the most of all the ingredients Fuller’s manage to produce a beer that is more than the sum of all its parts. Intense malt, intense hops and intense alcohol all make their presence felt, yet remain at all times perfectly integrated. The Châteauneuf-du-Pape of beers. Truly world class. [3.9]
April 2004 I would agree with what I said two years ago. This is one of the best bottle conditioned ales that us Brits make which is readily available. This fills the mouth with dark flavours. Yummy. [4.1]
July 2004 A taste comparison with Young’s London and Hen’s Tooth. There are some nutty notes from the crystal malt, while the amber malt adds a biscuit flavour with instant coffee undertones. There is also some chocolate. The orange marmalade flavours come from the single hop Goldings. Overall, this was the darker, more oaky flavoured of the three with some musty aged notes. [3.5]
Jan, 2005 The stale notes in the aroma are off-putting, but the creamy chocolate, buttery sweetness, bitter twigs of the flavour, and the dark, dark chocolate in the finish are so pleasing that it’s no wonder this is the best selling bottle conditioned beer in Britain. [4.0]
July, 2007 Wow. This is enjoyable. It sometimes happens that a certain blend of malts and a certain amount of hops comes together in a manner which is very pleasant. The hop bitterness is firm and tangy, yet not aggressive. The malts have soaked up the hops so there is an exquisite marriage of sweet and bitter, wrapped in a malty coat. The strength gives a chewy, solid, serious mouthfeel, without being too thick, and certainly not tasting of crude alcohol. There are few flaws in this. It’s not a beer, however, that totally sweeps me off my feet. It’s sort of predictable and a little old fashioned. I am not a fan of Goldings, nor of Maris Otter. There are malts and hops that give a more interesting range of flavours. And I do like a beer with a touch of character or individuality which this doesn’t quite have. But it’s still a damn enjoyable ale. [4.2]

Bottle. Clear deep amber body with a nice creamy tan head. Lots of malt in aroma with some nutty character. Notes of caramel and dark fruits but also some rotten vegetable. Heavy malty flavour with lots of caramel and a little smoke. Lovely creamy palate.

500ml bottle conditioned ale bought at the great St Albans Beer Festival 2005 (going back there this year). The beer has a deep mahogany colour topped with a medium lasting off-white, thick head. Inviting sweet aroma of caramel malt. Full bodied. Rich flavours of dried fruit, hops and roasted malt. Solid bitterness in a lingering aftertaste. Very tasty after more than nine months in the cellar.

bottle, same foamy head, dark amber color, nice malty depth with some fruit and cocoa, very good finish

Bottle. mahogony beer with a light beige head. Slight roast and toffee aroma. Slight roast, toffee, backing coffee flavor with light hops in the back. Medium body. Lingering roast.